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Rep. Darryll Issa, R-CA, is joined by more than a dozen Republican members of Congress as he speaks during a news conference about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program at the U.S. Capitol Nov. 9, 2017 in Washington, D.C. (Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Rep. Darryll Issa, R-CA, is joined by more than a dozen Republican members of Congress as he speaks during a news conference about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program at the U.S. Capitol Nov. 9, 2017 in Washington, D.C. (Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Democrat Mike Levin has advanced to the general election and will take on Republican Diane Harkey in the race to replace GOP Rep. Darrell Issa in the 49th Congressional District.

The district — which includes southern Orange County and northern San Diego — is one of Democrats’ biggest pickup opportunities.

Issa won reelection by just 1,621 votes in 2016, the closest reelection of any House member that year. After that, Democratic activists in the district were energized, holding weekly rallies outside Issa’s office for more than a year and spending months registering and reaching out to voters.

After Issa’s retirement announcement, the primary field became one of the most volatile in the state. Wide candidate fields on both sides prompted concern that either party might be locked out of contention for the seat in the fall due to the state’s top-two primary.